The plot thickens…

Lou Piniella announced after today’s 1-0 victory over the Dodgers that Carlos was unavailable because he had been rushed to the hospital, suffering from severe abdominal pains that could be signs of appendicitis.

I don’t mean to downplay the seriousness of this kind of condition (if it’s real), but this story only adds to the ridiculousness surrounding Big Z this season. First he’s a starter. Next he’s a late inning reliever. Then he’s a long-reliever in preparation for moving back to the starting rotation but never gets into a long-relief situation. Now this? What’s next? They reveal that he’s actually one of a pair of identical twins—one good, one evil? He was born female and had a sex change as a youth back in 1996? He gets marooned on a remote deserted island where supernatural events are commonplace?

This story just gets stranger and stranger. This all really helps to support the theory that the Cubs may be hiding something. Are they reluctant to put him back in the rotation? Are they reluctant to put him on the field at all? Could this be because they are hoping to trade him and don’t want to reveal that he just can’t cut it anymore? I’ve heard the “v” word bandied about: velocity (no, not the other “v” word)—part of the reason they moved Z to the pen was to help him get his velocity back. Apparently, that didn’t work so now the Cubs are putting him back in the rotation, possibly in an attempt to boost his trade value?

I think it’s important to keep in mind that, while an appendicitis attack is serious, it’s nothing that would hurt his trade value. Maybe this latest development is just another diversionary tactic used to buy some more time to line up some suitors for Z’s services. Hmmmm…..